How much car can you afford? If you live in the D.C. metro area, your household should be able to afford to buy a new car worth at least $32,531 — the median price, we're told. That's according to Interest.com, which on Tuesday released its annual Car Affordability Study and for the second year in a row, D.C. is No. 1.

You may quibble with the numbers based on your own bank account, but Interest.com used Kelley Blue Book data for 2013 new-car pricing, the U.S. Census Bureau for median incomes, Bankrate.com for the average 48-month new new-car loan and sales tax rates from automobile dealers and state and local governments.

Interest.com then calculated and followed the so-called 20/4/10 rule to squeeze out the numbers: A down payment of at least 20 percent; auto financing for four years; and principal, interest and insurance not exceeding 10 percent of a household's income.